In a coordinated effort to
reintroduce the European bison to the grasslands of southern Romania, the World
Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and Rewilding Europe recently brought 20 bison
to the Southern Carpathians. Ten more will be reintroduced over the summer. The
species has been absent for about 200 years.

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"This is the biggest ever bison
reintroduction and transportation to have taken place in Europe. We aim to
protect natural values in the wildest areas of the Southern Carpathians and
ensure their recovery where they were lost", says WWF project manager Adrian
Hăgătiş.

Increasing the numbers of bison
is important for both the survival of the species and biodiversity reasons. The
European bison, also called the Wisent, is a so-called keystone species in the
European ecosystems, with an important role through grazing and as prey for
larger carnivores such as bears.

The global population of European
bison is estimated at just over 5000 but only about 3500 of them live in free
or semi-free herds.

Initially the bison were released
into an acclimatization zone. Later they will be moved into an adjoining
rewilding zone where the animals will be given the opportunity to learn
necessary survival skills for life in nature, and form a solid social herd structure.

In early September they will be
released into a protected site almost 60,000 hectares in size and become the
first free roaming bison in the area since the 18th century.

The bison are expected to serve
as an important regional tourism attraction, with plans for a Bison Visitors
Centre to be established, WWF worked closely with the local community, forestry
service and tourism organizations.

"This increases local pride
without loss of traditional lifestyle and nature conservation takes on a new
meaning", says Adrian Hăgătiş.

The aim of the program is to
build a herd of 500 bison in the area by 2025. Rewilding Europe is working to
establish five populations of at least 100 individuals each in other rewilding
areas across the continent. Free-living bison are currently found in Latvia,
Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Russia and Germany.

Wild European bison became
extinct in the early part of the 20th century due to hunting and habitat loss.
The species has bounced back due to re-introduction programs, the International
Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) red list of
endangered species classes the species as vulnerable, an improvement from the
1990's.